ELMONT, N.Y. – Chad Brown likely will pre-enter 14 horses in the Breeders’ Cup series at Del Mar on Nov. 3-4, the reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer said Sunday.
Pre-entries are not due until Oct. 23 and won’t be announced until two days later. But with all the major prep races completed, and following several workouts over the weekend, Brown has pretty much solidified his lineup.
Brown will pre-enter three horses in the Filly and Mare Turf: Lady Eli, Dacita, and Grand Jete. Brown had been on the fence following Dacita’s head loss to War Flag in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl on Oct. 8 but said Sunday she would run. It will be the final start of her career before Dacita is sold at the Fasig-Tipton sale on Nov. 6.
“We don’t really have a lot to lose,” Brown said. “Just maybe, if she draws well and the race sets up for her, she can be right there. She’s certainly a filly that shows up just about every time she runs outside of her races at Keeneland. She’s very consistent, you have to respect her, and you can’t ever really count her out because when you do, here she comes again, and she works out good trips. She finds a way to be right there every time.”
Lady Eli, beaten a nose in last year’s Filly and Mare Turf by Queen’s Trust, will bring a three-race winning streak into this year’s race. On Sunday, Lady Eli worked five furlongs in 1:01.50 in company with Elysea’s World. It was her sixth breeze since winning the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 26.
Brown called an audible when he ran Lady Eli in the Ballston Spa instead of waiting for the Flower Bowl.
“The time’s done her well, she gets stronger and stronger each week, and we didn’t have to contend with the slightly softish conditions for the Flower Bowl last week,” Brown said. “It’s all working out for her.”
Grand Jete, third, beaten a length by War Flag, in the Flower Bowl, likely will return to the work tab next weekend.
Beach Patrol and Fanciful Angel, the 1-2 finishers in both the Arlington Million and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, worked a half-mile together in 50.70 seconds Sunday over Belmont’s turf course in preparation for the $4 million BC Turf. Fanciful Angel was a bit headstrong in the work, but Brown said that’s typical of him.
“He likes to tug a little bit, but I thought my rider did a really good job,” Brown said. “Both horses were well in hand; excellent work.”
Significant Form, the Miss Grillo winner preparing for the Juvenile Fillies Turf, worked a half-mile in 50.39 seconds over Belmont’s turf on Sunday in company with the older stakes winner Rymska. The pair had a good run-up, going from the five-furlong pole to the half-mile pole in 14.39 seconds, but the work didn’t officially start until the half-mile pole. The duo went their opening quarter in 27.00 seconds and their final quarter in 23.39.
“They got a pretty good run to the half-mile pole, a little more than I wanted, then they settled down nicely and worked an easy half,” Brown said. “I liked the work very much.”
Brown also plans to run Rushing Fall in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Brown said Rushing Fall will train for the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, where on Oct. 11 she won the Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes.
Earlier Sunday morning over Belmont’s main track, Carina Mia went a half-mile in 47.80 seconds by herself in preparation for the Filly and Mare Sprint, while Annals of Time went a half-mile in 49 seconds in company with Money Multiplier. Brown said he is hopeful of getting Annals of Time into the Mile. Money Multiplier, coming off a poor performance in the Joe Hirsch, will skip the Breeders’ Cup and point to the Grade 3, $200,000 Red Smith on Nov. 11 at Aqueduct.
Practical Joke on Saturday worked five furlongs in 1:00 in company with Twisted Tom. While Brown plans to run Practical Joke in the Dirt Mile, he said Sunday it is possible that the horse could also be pre-entered in the BC Sprint. Practical Joke is undefeated in one-turn races, and the Dirt Mile is run around two turns.
“The six furlongs of the Sprint, it worries me if he’ll get up in time, and I’m not familiar with the track that much,” Brown said. “You may see him cross-entered.”
Brown’s other Breeders’ Cup pre-entrants will be Paulassilverlining (Filly & Mare Sprint), Separationofpowers (Juvenile Fillies), Voting Control (Juvenile Turf), and Good Magic (Juvenile).
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